Closure for bottles and like receptacles



June 13, 1933. P, VAN CLEEF 1,913,526

CLOSURE FOR BOTTLES AND LIKE RECEPTAGLES I Filed April 15. 1932 Patented June 13, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PAUL VAN MEI, OI CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASBIGNOB '10 VAN OLIII OI MOO, ILLINOIS, A PAR COIJOBED OI NOAH VAN OLII I, nu! V OLE, KAXIME VAN GLEEI', AND PAUL VAN GLEN CLOSURE 1'03 BOTTLES All!) LIKE REOEPTACLEB Application filed April 16, 1932. Serial Io. 005,886.

The present invention pertains generally to closures for bottles and like receptacles. More particularly the'invention pertains to that type of bottle closure which comprlses 5 (1) a metallic screw-cap for closing the neck or mouth of the bottle, (2) a centrally apertured, disk-like sealing member of cork or like material, and (3 a depending wire stem which is soldere at its upper end to the top wall of the cap and has a swab at its lower end for use in applying orspreadin the contents of the bottle.

no object of the invention is to provide a bottle closure of the type under consideration in which the sealing member is provided at the under side thereof with a centrally apertured disk of copper or like metal, and the solder for securin the wire stem to the top wall of the. cap is used to the apertured part of the disk so as to fill and seal the opening in the sealing member and thus prevent leakage or evaporation of the contents of the bottle via the aforesaid opening and around the sealing member.

, Another object of the invention is to provide a bottle closure of the last mentioned character in which the central aperture in the metal disk at the under side of the sealing member is smaller than the opening in the sealing member so as to form an annular shoulder to which the solder readily fuses.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bottle closure of the metal cap and swab t pe which is generally of new and improve tured at a low and reasonable cost.

Other objects of the invention and the various advantages and characteristics of the present bottle closure construction will be apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description.

The invention consists in the several novel features which are hereinafter set forth and are more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof. v In the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of this description or specification and in which like numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

construction and may be manufac--- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a bottle equipped with a closure embodying the inventlon;

Figure 2 is a detail view of the various parts which are used to form the closure; -F1 ure 3 is a bottom view of the cap showng t e bent end of the wire stem before it is secured to the top wall of the cap by solder; and

Ifigure 4 is a bottom view of the cap exhlbltmg the manner in which the solder secures the bent end of the wire stem to the ca and fuses to the cop er disk at the under si e of the sealing member so as to seal the central opening in the sealing member.

The closurewhich forms the subject matter of the invention comprises a cap 10 which is adapted to close the neck or mouth 6 of a bottle B. The ca is punched from a disk of sheet metal an consists of a circular top wall 11 and an annular flange 12. The flange depends from, and is formed integrally with,

the marginal part of the top wall 11, and is provided with a female screw thread 13 for engagement with a male screw thread b on the neck 6 of the bottle. The lower marginal part of the flange 12 is doubled back, as at 14, for reinforcing purposes. A disk-like sealing member 15 of cork or similar material is housed in the cap. and is adapted to be clamped between the circular top wall 11 and the extreme outer end of the neck 6 when the cap is screwed into its operative position and is caused to be brought towards the bottle by the action of the coacting screw threads 13 and b. This sealing member is held against the top wall 11 by the female screw thread 13. It is provided in the central portion thereof with a circular opening 16 and is associated with a disk 17. The latter is formed of copper or any other suitable material to which solder will fuse, embodies a circular aperture 18 in the central portion thereof and fits against the bottom face of the sealingmember 15. The aperture 18 is smaller in diameter than the circular opening 16 in the sealing member so that an annular shoulder 19 is formed beneath and around the opening 16. The outer marginal part of the disk 17 extends to the outer edge of the sealing member, and is adapted to fit and be clamped against the extreme outer end of the neck I) of the bottle when the cap is screwed into place, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawing.

In addition to the cap 12, the circular sealing member 15 and the copper disk 17 the closure comprises a stem 20 which extends downwardly from the cap and is formed of wire. The lower end of the stem is bent to form a loop (not shown) through which ass the fabric strands of a swab 21. The swa 21 is preferably spherical in conformation and is adapted to be used in applying or spreading the contents of the bottle B. The upper end of the wire stem extends through the aperture 18 in the disk 17 and the circular opening 16 in the sealing member 15 and is bent at right angles relatively to the remainder of the stem so as to form a laterally extending anchor piece 22. This anchor piece is flattened, as shown in the drawing, and fits against the bottom face of the top wall of the cap. It is preferably shorter than the diameter of the circular aperture 18, in order that it may be readily inserted through the disk 17, and is secured in place by solder 23. The solder 23 extends around and under the anchor piece 22, as shown in Figures 1 and 4. It fills the opening 16 and the aperture 18 and is fused to the shoulder 19 so that it serves to attach fixedly and permanently the wire stem 20 to the cap. By virtue of the fact that the solder is fused to the shoulder 19, the opening 16 is completely sealed and leakage and eva oration of the contents of the bottle aroun the sealing member are effectively prevented. A characteristic and an advantage of forming the disk 17 of copper and with the shoulder 19, is that the surface tension of the solder is materially reduced during the soldering operation so that the solder tends to flatten out on the under face of the disk 17.

The bottle closure described herein consists of but a small number of parts and may be manufactured at a low and reasonable cost. By virtue of the fact that the solder ber, the closure is exceedingly efficient in operation.

Whereas the bottle closure has been described as comprising a wire stem with a swab, it is to be understood that a brush with a wire or metal handle may be used equally as well in connection with the cap. It is also to be understood that the invention is not to be restricted to the details set forth, since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A bottle closure of the character described, comprising in combination a cap formed of sheet metal and embod ing a top wall and a continuous depending flange provided with means whereby it may be connected to the mouth or neck of the bottle, a centrally a rtured metallic sealing element surrounde by the flange and positioned adjacent the top wall of the cap, an elongated metallic stem adapted to extend into the bottle when the cap is in its operative position and having one end thereof extending through the aperture in the element and soldered to the top wall so as to form a permanent connection between the stem and the cap, and means connected to the other end of the stem for use in spreading or a plying the contents of the bottle, the solder ibr connecting the stem to the cap being applied so that it fills the aforesaid aperture and is fused directly to the element and to the contiguous portion of the stem in order to form a completely hermetic seal whereby leakage. bott e with a centrally apertured metallic facing element, an elongated metallic stem adapted to extend into the bottle when the cap s in its operative osition and having one end thereof exten ing through the a rture in the element and the opening in t e sealing member and soldered to the top wall of the cap so as to form a permanent connection between the stem and the cap, and means connected to the other end of the stem for use in spreading or applying the contents of the bottle, the solder for connecting the stem to the cap being applied so that it fills the opening in the sealing member and is fused to the metallic facing element in order to prevent leakage of the contents of the bottle around the sealing member via said opening.

3. A bottle closure of the character described, comprising in combination a cap formed of sheet metal and embodying a top wall and a continuous depending flange provided with means whereby it may be connected to the mouth or neck of the bottle, a non-metallic sealing member with a circular opening in the central portion thereof surrounded by the flange and positioned against the top wall of the cap, a metallic liner element fitting against the outer face of the sealing member and having a central aperture of less diameter than the opening in said member, an elongated metallic stem adapted to extend into the bottle when the cap is in its a operative position, having one end thereof extending through the aperture in the liner element and the opening in the sealing member and soldered to the top wall of the cap so as to form a permanent connection between the stein and the cap, and means connected to the other end of the stem for use in spreading or applying the contents of the bottle, the solder for connecting the stem to the cap being applied so that it fills the opening in the sealing member and is fused to the inner marginal portion of the liner element in order to effect a seal whereby leakage of the bottle is prevented around the sealing member by way of the opening. Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 9th day of April, 1932.

' PAUL VAN GLEEF. 

